Dardanelle receives $100,000 grant for Senior CenterDARDANELLE — The Senior Activity Center will receive a much-needed remodel to its kitchen thanks to a $100,000 grant the city received from the Arkansas Department of Economic Development (ADED). The Dardanelle City Council voted Monday during its monthly meeting on resolutions that must be met as part of the application process, Mayor Carolyn McGee said. All resolutions passed. The site of the Senior Center at 701 N. 5th Street used to be a m...

Courthouse needs space, wants building next door valued at $235,000The Pope County Quorum wants to use some of its Surplus Fund money to purchase the building directly west from the courthouse in Russellville. Justice of the Peace Caleb Moore explained he and a couple of other JPs and Judge Jim Ed Gibson toured the building recently. It has about 4,600 square feet, the bottom part has HVAC and the top part has window units. “There is lots and lots of office space available,” Moore said. Gibson said the histor...

County still struggling with animal lawPope County Sheriff Shane Jones suggested during Thursday night’s Quorum Court meeting that he meet with Russellville Mayor Randy Horton and possibly mayors of other communities about how the county could take care of vicious animals. Justice of the Peace Caleb Moore said there were four parts of Ordinance 2015-0-50 that were actually written in 2005 or 2008. The PCQC’s Vicious Animal Nuisance Committee said during its meeting last month that ...

Hector will upgrade city ball fieldHECTOR — The Hector City Council met Thursday in a special session called by Mayor John Riley to consider a $1,700 appropriation from the general fund for repairs and improvements to the city’s Linton Park baseball field. Riley told the council, “If we’re going to keep the facility, we need to maintain it and make it something we can be proud of.” He said “starting in about two weeks” the ball field would become the center of activity in Hecto...

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BY STEVE LEAVELL sleavell@cswnet.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

County discusses $235,379 in overtime, wants to add HR Director The Pope County Quorum Court’s Budget Committee asked Treasurer Donna Wall to take her request to create a human resources position for the county to the Personnel Committee so the criteria for the position can be established. Justices of the Peace agreed the HR position is important. In fact, JP Bill Sparks said this is one of the bigger things the Quorum Court has done in the last three years. “I would really want to see this happen, but I w...

Council reacts to fire chief’s abrupt retirement, investigation in limboHalf of the members of the Russellville City Council said they had no comment or did not want to comment at this time when asked Friday about the retirement announcement of Fire Chief John Cochran. The announcement comes a week following a special called council meeting asking the city’s Human Resources Director Tanessa Vaughn to begin the steps necessary to interview the fire department’s 55 employees and submit the findings to the council or...

Fire chief set to retire in AprilRussellville Fire Department Chief John Cochran announced Friday his intention to retire effective April 22. A press release from Mayor Randy Horton’s office stated Cochran has been approved to utilize accrued time off beginning Monday and has sufficient time accrued to last until the official retirement date. Horton said Cochran met to discuss his retirement plans with a board on February 25, one day before a called City Council meeting where...

Pope Co. Quorum Court JP's residency under reviewPope County Judge Jim Ed Gibson said Wednesday a review has begun after the legality of a Quorum Court Justice of the Peace was questioned after he received a promotion and transfer last month. Arkansas State Police Lt. Ben Cross of Dover was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant and made assistant commander of Highway Patrol, Troop H Headquarters in Fort Smith. Gibson said a review was underway after a Pope County resident called his office an...

In their words: local candidates comment on election resultsCandidates in Tuesday’s Pope County primary election responded a day after nearly 40 percent of the registered voters cast their ballots. District Court Judge Don Bourne said he thanked all the voters in Pope County for their support and participation and recognized it is a good thing government leaders are required to run for office, answer to the voters and asked for their votes. “I thank God for this blessing and for guiding me through this...

No timeline set for city’s investigation into RFDAn investigation into the Russellville Fire Department could take a while, Human Resources Coordinator Tanessa Vaughn said in an interview on Tuesday. Vaughn was asked to conduct interviews with 55 employees of the Fire Department and submit the findings to the council after a 5-1 vote during a called City Council meeting on Friday. “We will be sending out letters to all 55,” she said. “We expect to have those letters back in a week or two, wh...

Candidates hope for the best on Super TuesdayWASHINGTON — It’s called Super Tuesday for a reason. Voters in the four states to hold 2016 presidential primaries and caucuses thus far have handed out just a fraction of the delegates it takes to win the Democratic and Republican nominations. But when a dozen states vote today, nearly half the delegates needed to win the GOP nod and more than one-third required to take the mantle of the Democratic Party are at stake. It’s a huge moment, and ...

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Council asks for investigation of Fire DepartmentThe Russellville City Council voted 5-1 during a special meeting before lunch Friday to ask Human Resources Director Tanessa Vaughn to conduct interviews with 55 employees of the Fire Department and submit the findings to the council or Personnel Committee. Mayor Randy Horton said after the meeting that he thought the request for an investigation was a direct challenge to his administration, adding the city’s policy clearly stated that any emp...

Area voting continues Those who don’t want to vote on Super Tuesday have one more day before the Arkansas primary elections on March 1. In Russellville, people can vote early from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pope County Election Headquarters at 1509 E. Main St. Suite 7 in Russellville. Voters in Yell County and Johnson County may vote early at their county courthouses. Pope County’s early voting totals through Saturday: • Tuesday, Feb. 16 — 308 • Wednesday, Feb. 17 — 2...

Commission confirms testing times for policeThe Russellville Civil Service Commission confirmed testing date and times with Police Chief Jeff Humphrey during its regular meeting Tuesday at City Hall. Entry level physical and written tests will be given on March 5. Humphrey said there were about 46 applicants for entry-level police officers. Promotional captains testing will take place the morning of April 6, and the captain’s assessment exam will be the morning of April 13. Humphrey ask...

Pottsville ponders rate increase to fund new meters as net income decreasesPOTTSVILLE — The Pottsville City Council set a date to further discuss water and sewer rates during its regular meeting Monday night. Marshall Cruz, with Crews and Associates, came before the council to discuss refinancing the city’s loans. “I wanted to give you an update on where things stood since a couple of months ago when I was here before. When trying to finance the city’s loans, we ran into a bit of a problem but I think I have a soluti...

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BY PATRICIA SPEARS pspears@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Board, city team up on drainage issuesThe Dover School Board renewed the contracts of all building administrators, entered a partnership with the city of Dover for drainage improvements on South Elizabeth Street and authorized Superintendent Jerry Owens to explore a partnership with ABC Children’s Academy to provide pre-kindergarten classes and before and after school childcare at the elementary school at its monthly meeting Feb. 18. After a twenty-minute executive session, the bo...

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BY STEVE LEAVELL sleavell@cswnet.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Planning Commission says no to 7T permitThe Russellville Planning Commission denied a special use permit for proposed properties on State Highway 7T and Jimmy Lyle Road and North El Paso Avenue during their regular meeting Monday at City Hall. A public hearing was conducted as the commissioners considered a recommendation to approve a special use permit to allow parking of trucks, equipment pertaining to house moving and temporary parking of houses that are being moved, for property...

Emotions soar over pit bullsPOTTSVILLE — Emotions soared during Monday night’s Pottsville City Council meeting when the discussion of a proposed animal ordinance started. Mayor Jerry Williams asked aldermen if they had any changes they wanted to make to the ordinance. The first to respond was Donnie Elliot. “I have one concern about a statement that was made at the last meeting concerning the rescue pound,” Elliot said. “The woman that said she rescued dogs. Do you need ...

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BY PATRICIA SPEARS pspears@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

State of the City of RussellvilleAfter a successful and productive 2015, the city of Russellville is properly positioned to experience levels of success and achievement that will be limited only by our collective resolve to work in cooperation with all parties capable and willing to help us all to reach our mutual goals. Long-time airport manager Bobby Day retired in March and was replaced by Keith Frasier. Mr. Frasier had to deal with the process of updating the Airport Mast...

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For The Courier and BY MAYOR RANDY HORTONThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Ordinance read again, draws questionWhen one item on the agenda of the Russellville City Council came up during Thursday’s meeting, Alderman Garland Steuber had a question. “Mayor, I’m wondering why we read an ordinance three times when we only talk about it once? I think we’re setting a precedent,” he said. The council went ahead and conducted the second second reading of an ordinance that will establish participation in the city’s wrecker call service and repeal Ordinances 185...